Self-locking stackable tapered container with partial top stucture

ABSTRACT

A stackable container for carrying produce. The container has tapered side walls or end walls to aid in the stacking of like containers. Also, the container has locking flaps that allow the container to be erected manually and without the need for fasteners. Further, at least one tapered wall of the container has a reinforcement flap that creates a partial top structure in the upper part of the container that helps prevent bulging of the walls. The reinforcement flap also creates doubled stacking tabs and diagonal corner posts that aid in the stacking of like containers.

PRIORITY CLAIMS

This application claims priority from United States ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/414,099 filed Sep. 27, 2002, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container made of a flexiblematerial, erected from a unitary paperboard blank (hereafter, “blank”),for the holding, stacking and transporting of various items such asagricultural produce. In particular, the present invention relates to acontainer having self-locking side or end walls, tapered opposing sideor end walls, tab locking assemblies scored and cut in a base panel ofthe container for accepting and securing the tabs of an adjacentlystacked container, and a reinforcement flap forming a partial topstructure having doubled stacking tabs and corner posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Corrugated paperboard is typically used in many different applications,for example, to form containers, boxes, cartons, or dividers forholding, storing, stacking or shipping various items such asagricultural produce. Recent produce packaging trends have developed forretail markets in open-top retail ready trays (sometimes referred to astee trays), which allow consumers to purchase various produce items whendisplayed such open topped containers. Typically, such containers have abottom and four side walls, and are formed from a blank scored withscore lines or cut lines. The blanks are most often formed by automatedmachines in a continuous in-line process involving cutting, scoring andmolding continuous sheets of paperboard. The paperboard is then foldedalong the score lines or cut lines to form a container. The blanks maybe folded into a tray by an automated machine or by a consumer.

During use, containers are often stacked on top of one another for easeof shipping and for optimum use of space. In these circumstances, it ispossible for containers to have stacking tabs extending upward from thetop edge of the container's side walls. These stacking tabs often fitinto corresponding notches cut into an adjacently stacked container tohelp secure the stack. Since containers are usually stacked on top oflike sized containers, the stacking tabs that extend upward from a lowercontainer's side walls position directly into the side walls of ahigher, adjacent container. Thus, to accommodate the lower container'stabs, a complimentary notch must be cut out of the higher container'sside walls. However, a notch in a side wall is problematic in that itdoes not secure the stacking tab on all four sides. Thus, these sidewallnotches do not fully prevent side-to-side movement, subjecting the stackto potential toppling. This is sometimes circumvented by having amulti-ply side wall, wherein a stacking tab extends upwards from aninner layer of the side wall, thereby aligning the stacking tabs withthe bottom panel of an adjacent container as opposed to the side wall.This, however, required excess paperboard to be used to create themulti-layer side wall and related excess costs.

Further, it is easy to misplace a container during stacking such that ahigher container falls into a lower container, usually on an angle,potentially damaging the contents of the lower container. To solve this,several prior art containers have devised tapered side walls, whereinthe distance between the top edges of the side walls is less than thedistance between the lower edges of the side walls. This eases stackingby severely limiting the probability of the higher container fallinginto a lower container (hereafter, “sub-adjacent container”), since thenarrower upper portion creates a more functional ledge for the base ofthe higher container (hereafter, “super-adjacent container”) to rest on.However, with these containers, the tapered side walls do not havestacking tabs, severely lessening the strength of the stack.

Other prior art containers seek to solve the foregoing problems usingfold-down panels or additional side walls or panels that create gussetsor corner posts and/or double layer stacking tabs. See, e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 5,860,590 to Blomfield et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,805 to Gasior,and U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,395 to McLeod. However, each has a problem inutilization that makes it relatively unattractive to manufacture or use.For example, some containers require the use of a full-sized panel thatrequires excessive materials thereby raising costs. Some requirecomplicated procedures to assemble the container. Others require amachine to assemble the container, making such containers expensive touse. Yet others require fasteners such as staples or glue for assembly,which in addition to raising costs, makes it difficult to disassemblethe container for storage and re-use without damaging the container.Accordingly, it is a broad object of the present invention to provide acost-efficient container that is easy to assemble and disassemble andwhich has multiple features that allow it to be easily stacked withother containers to form a container stack that is stable and whichminimizes damages to the containers in the stack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, the foregoing purposes, as well as others thatwill be apparent, are achieved generally by providing a containercomprising a base panel, two opposing side walls and two opposing endwalls. The container's side walls or end walls are tapered such that theangle between the side walls or end walls and the base panel is lessthan 90°. The container has locking flaps on the non-tapered end or sidewalls that allow the container to be erected manually and without theneed for fasteners. Preferably, the container has at least one taperedside or end wall with a reinforcement flap. The reinforcement flapcreates a partial top structure in the upper part of container thathelps prevent bulging of the walls. The reinforcement flap also createsa doubled stacking tab which projects from the top of the container andwhich follows the taper of the adjacent side or end wall. In addition,the reinforcement flap creates diagonal corner posts along the cornersof the container.

The container may have a window on at least one side wall to provideventilation and/or viewing of the contents. Reinforcement pieces thatare similar to and which function in the same manner as reinforcementflaps may be positioned on each side of the window. Openings may also beprovided on the side or end walls to serve as handholds for carrying thecontainer. In addition, one or more stacking tabs may be positionedalong an upper edge of a side or end wall not having a doubled stackingtab. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the containerhas tab lock assemblies scored and cut in the base panel of thecontainer and crushed areas, which coact to hold and keep in place thestacking tabs projecting from a sub-adjacent container. Further, in apreferred embodiment, lock tabs project from the corner post to fit intoa lock slot in an adjacent locking flap and bottom tabs project from thebottom end of an end flap or side flap to fit into tab slots in the basepanel.

The tapered side or end walls of the container and the tapered doubledstacking tabs ensure that the doubled stacking tabs fit into slots cutfrom the base panel, and not the side or end walls, of a super-adjacentcontainer, thereby allowing the containers to securely stack withoutrequiring excess paperboard material. Further, the tapered side or endwalls lessen the distance between the top edges of the side or end wallsas opposed to the base of the side or end walls, thereby preventingunwanted slippage by providing a better supporting ledge for a containerwhen it is stacked on top of another. The locking flaps allow thecontainer to be easily assembled by hand and also allow the container tobe easily disassembled for storage and re-use without damaging thecontainer. The reinforcement flap is easy to use and requires a minimumof material, thereby lowering costs. The combination of the foregoingfeatures results in a container that is cost-efficient, easy to assembleand disassemble, easy to stack, and which forms a container stack thatis not prone to toppling or damaging a sub-adjacent container, withoutusing excess material.

Other objects, embodiments, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent when the description of a preferredembodiment of the invention is considered in conjunction with theannexed drawings, which should be construed in an illustrative and notlimiting sense.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a container according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank for a container according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank for an alternative embodiment of thecontainer of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank for an alternative embodiment of thecontainer of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank for a container according to a furtherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a blank for a container according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container assembled from the blank ofFIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A blank for a container embodying features of the present invention isshown in FIG. 1. The blank is scored for the purpose of folding into acontainer (i.e., a tee tray) suitable for holding, shipping or stackinga wide variety of objects, such as perishable agricultural products. Theblank is preferably formed from flat corrugated paper, paperboard orsuch other material as known in the art as having suitable compositionand thickness for the shipping and transporting of a wide variety offood items. For example, if one were to package heavier goods, a thickergrade of paperboard may be advisable.

Base panel 10 is substantially rectangular shaped and is bordered by endfold lines 66 and by side fold lines 64. Opposing end walls 14 foldablyconnect to the base panel 10 along fold lines 66 while opposing sidewalls 12 foldably connect to the base panel along fold lines 64. The endwalls 14 are generally rectangular shaped and each end wall is borderedon four sides by an upper edge 70, fold line 66, and outer fold lines52. The side walls 12 are substantially rectangular shaped and borderedby an upper edge 68, fold line 64 and side edges 80.

The end walls 14 have a width about equal to or less than the width ofthe upper edge 68 of the side walls 12. The length (arrow L) of the endwalls 14 corresponds to the height of the end walls in an erectedcontainer. In the present example, the length of the end wall 14 and,consequently, the height of the end wall of the erected container isabout 8 1/16 inches. However, the length (arrow L) of the end walls 14and corresponding height of the end walls of the erected container canvary widely within the scope of the invention. The length (arrow L′) ofthe side walls 12 corresponds to the height of the side walls of theerected container. Ideally the height of the side walls 12 is the sameas the height of the end walls 14. Preferably, the width of the upperedge 68 of the side walls 12 are slightly less than the width of abottom portion of the side walls adjacent to fold line 64. This is toaccommodate the taper of the end walls 14 when the blank is erected toform the container (hereafter, “assembled”). Also, the side walls 12 mayhave an opening 76 that provides a handhold for carrying the erectedcontainer and which also allows for ventilation and viewing of thecontents of the container.

End flaps 16 foldably attach to the end walls 14 along fold lines 52.The end flaps 16 are substantially rectangular shaped and bordered onfour sides by a top edge 50, end edge 78, bottom edge 48, and fold lines52. The upper edge 50 has a lock recess 18. Preferably, the end flap 16has a bottom tab 54 projecting from the bottom edge 48. The bottom tab54 is dimensioned to fit into a tab slot 56 disposed on the base panel10 adjacent to fold line 64. As described in more detail below, when theblank is assembled, the lock recess 18 allows adjacent side walls 14 andend flaps 16 to be locked in place by a locking flap 28 (see below)while the bottom tab 54 and tab slot 56 fit together to hold the endflap 16 securely in place. The end flap may also have a recess 77 alongthe end edge 78, which registers with the opening 76 when the blank isassembled.

The bottom edge 48 of the end flaps extends generally in the samelateral plane as fold line 66 except that the bottom edge diverges froma bottom edge of the end wall 14 (i.e., fold line 66) with a slightangle towards the top edge 50, thereby causing the end walls 14 to taperinwards when the container is assembled. The angle of divergence of thebottom edge 48 can vary greatly, depending on how much of a taper isultimately desired in the end walls. Similarly, top edge 50 extendsgenerally in the same lateral plane as the upper edge 70 of the end wall14, except that the top edge diverges away from the upper edge 70 at aslight divergent angle. The angle of divergence of the top edge 50 ispreferably about the same as the angle of divergence of the bottom edge48. For example, if bottom edge 48 diverges from fold line 66 at anangle of about 3°, then, the top edge 50 preferably diverges from theupper edge 70 at an angle of about 3°. The foregoing equivalent angle ofdivergence allows the upper edge 70 and top edge 50 to create a flat,even top corner when the container is assembled.

Locking flaps 20 are attached to the upper edges 68 of the side walls12. The locking flaps 20 are hingeably connected to the upper edges 68by a pair of spaced-apart lock hinge assemblies 22. The lock hingeassemblies 22 comprise a generally rectangular shaped hinge 23 borderedon the short sides by hinge cuts 24, 25 and on the long sides by foldlines 26, 27. The hinge 23 is sized, constructed, adapted and arranged(hereafter, collectively “dimensioned”) to form fit into an adjacentlock recess 18 when the blank is assembled. The locking flaps 20 andhinge assemblies 22 hold adjacent side walls 14, end walls 14 and endflaps 16 in place when the blank is assembled. Also, the locking flap 20may have a recess 79 along the outer edge 81 thereof. The recess 79registers with the opening 76 when the blank is assembled. In apreferred embodiment, the locking flap 20 has a lock notch 62 disposedalong the outer edge. The lock notch 62 is dimensioned to accept a locktab 60 (see below) when the blank is assembled.

The hinge cuts 24, 25 are incisions that downwardly extend through thematerial comprising the locking flap 20 and side wall 12. One end ofeach hinge cut 24, 25 is perpendicular to a lower edge 21 of the lockingflap and extends a short distance into the locking flap. The other endof each side cut 24, 25 is perpendicular to the upper edge 68 of theside wall 12 and extends a short distance into the side wall. The foldlines 26, 27 are perforations that extend downwardly through thematerial comprising the locking flap 20 and side wall 12 and aredisposed perpendicular to and between the hinge cuts 24, 25. One foldline 26 is disposed on the side wall 12, parallel to the upper edge 68of the side wall 12 and running perpendicularly between the hinge cuts24, 25. The other fold line 27 is disposed on the locking flap 20,positioned parallel to the lower edge 21of the locking flap and runningperpendicularly between the hinge cuts 24, 25. The distance between thefold cuts 26, 27 is about equal to the thickness of the materialcomprising the end flaps 16 while the distance between the hinge cuts24, 25 is about equal to the width of the lock recess 18. In analternate embodiment (not shown), each fold line 26, 27 can be ansingle, short incision extending downwardly through the materialcomprising the side wall 12 locking flap 20 and locking flap 20respectively.

A reinforcement flap 28 is foldably attached to the upper edges 70 ofside walls 14. The reinforcement flap is substantially rectangularshaped having a width less than the width of the end wall 14 and alength considerably shorter than that of the end wall 14. Thereinforcement flap 28 has small flaps or corner posts 58 that arefoldably attached on fold lines 74 along the shorter ends of thereinforcement flap. In a preferred embodiment, the corner post 58 has alock tab 60 projecting from a side edge thereof. The lock tab 60 isdimensioned to fit into the lock slot 62 (see above) when the blank isassembled to keep the locking flap 20 and reinforcement flap 28 inplace. The reinforcement flap 28 is connected to the upper edge 70 ofthe end wall by a doubled stacking tab 33 (hereafter, “doubled tab”).The doubled tab 33 comprises a flap tab 31 extending from a tab edge 72of the reinforcement flap 28 and an end wall tab 30 extending from theupper edge 70 of the end wall. The two tabs 31, 30 are foldablyconnected along tab fold line 32.

When the blank is assembled, the reinforcement flap 28 folds downwardsand inwards along tab fold line 32 to form a partial top structure thatreinforces the upper part of the container and prevents bulging. Thefolded down reinforcement flap 28 also positions the corner posts 58diagonally across upper corners of the container to support asuper-adjacent container while and the lock tabs 60 fold along fold line74 extend into the lock slot 62 of an adjacent locking flap 20 to holdthe corner post 58 in place. The folded down reinforcement flap 28 alsopositions the doubled tab 33 to project upwards and into a stacking slotof a super-adjacent container. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, thereinforcement flap 28 is connected to the upper edge 70 of the side wall14 by only one doubled tab 33. However, it is to be understood thatconnecting the reinforcement flap 28 to the upper edge 70 with more thanone doubled tab is within the spirit of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, tab lock assemblies 38 are cut and scored inthe base panel 10 at a location adjacent to fold line 66 as shown inFIG. 1 or, alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the fold line 66.The tab lock assembly 38 comprises a stacking slot 34 and a flap tab 40.The stacking slot 34 and flap tab 40 are dimensioned and positioned tocoact in accepting the doubled tab of a sub-adjacent container and holdthe doubled tab in place.

The flap tab 40 has a length, width and thickness, wherein the thicknessis equal to the thickness of the base panel 10, and the length and widthcan vary within the scope of the invention as long as the flapsufficiently engages a doubled tab to hold the doubled tab in place. Theflap tab 40 is bordered by a contact edge 42, back cut 46, and a pair ofopposing side cuts 44, 45. The contact edge 42 is the part of the flaptab 40 that engages and holds secure a doubled tab by rubbing againstthe doubled tab and holding it secure by friction fit. The contact edge42 is disposed adjacent and parallel to the stacking slot 34 and isdimensioned to engage the doubled tab of a sub-adjacently stackedcontainer when inserted through stacking slot 34, holding it securely inplace. In the present embodiment, the contact edge 42 is a shaped in theform of a slightly tongue-shaped, outward extending arc. However, theshape of the contact edge 42 may be altered in other embodiments. Forexample, contact edge 42 can be shaped as a straight line.

The back cut 46 is positioned parallel to and at a distance from thecontact edge 42 and perpendicular to and between side cuts 44, 45. Theback cut 46 is a short incision extending downwardly through the entirethickness of the base panel 10. The back cut 46 allows the flap tab 40to pivot up to hold secure the doubled tab. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the ends of the back cut 46 does not extend from all the waybetween the side cuts 44, 45. However, in an alternate embodiment, theback cut 46 may be a perforated line running from all the way betweenthe side cuts 44, 45.

The side cuts 44, 45 are incisions extending downwardly though theentire thickness of the base panel 10. The side cut lines 44, 45 extend,respectively, perpendicularly from each end of the contact edge 42 andpartially into the base panel 10 for a distance, preferably, about equalto the distance between the back cut 46 and contact edge 42. The sidecuts 44, 45 coact with the back cut 46 to enable the flap tab 40 topivot upward about the back cut 46 without encountering undue resistancefrom the part of base panel 10 bordering the flap tab 40.

The stacking slot 34 is generally rectangular shaped and has a lengthabout equal to the width of the doubled tab of a sub-adjacent containerand a width slightly smaller than said doubled tab. This allows saiddoubled tab to extend through the stacking slot 34 and enabled thedoubled tab to press against the flap tab 40, thereby causing the flapto bend upwards to accommodate and hold the doubled tab in place. Thestacking slot 34 is positioned on the bottom panel 10 and is disposedbetween the flap tab 40 and fold line 66. Further, the stacking slot 34is positioned to accept the doubled tab of the sub-adjacent container ona slight taper. If the degree of taper changes, the alignment can changeaccordingly. For example, if end walls of the sub-adjacent containertaper a higher degree than the container shown in FIG. 1, the doubledtabs thereof will contact the base panel 10 of the super-adjacentcontainer at some point closer to the center of base panel 10. Toaccount for this, the stacking slots 34 can be inwardly spaced from foldline 66, thereby being aligned to accept said doubled tabs.

The end wall 14 may have a crushed area 36. The crushed area 36 ispreferably rectangular shaped and is disposed adjacent to that part ofthe fold line 66 that is adjacent to the stacking slot 34. The crushedarea 36 comprises a section of the end wall 14 that is pressed to apoint wherein the thickness of the crushed area is less than thethickness of the end wall. The crushed area allows easier access of thedoubled stacking tab of the sub-adjacent container into the stackingslot 34 in those embodiments wherein the taper of end wall of containeris very slight.

The blank is erected manually to form the container as follows. The sidewalls 12 are folded upwards along fold lines 64. The end flaps 16 areupwards along fold lines 52 and the end walls 14 are then folded upwardsto so that the bottom tabs 54 fits into adjacent tab slots 56 in thebase panel 10. When this happens, bottom edge 48 aligns with fold line64, thereby pulling down the end flaps and causing the end walls 14 totaper inwards. The taper of the end walls 14 may be slight, preferablybetween 1-5°, although this can vary widely within the scope of theinvention depending on the angle of divergence of bottom edge 48. Theresults of the taper is an angle less than 90° between the base panel 10and the end walls 14.

The locking flaps 20 are then folded inwards to lie flush against anouter surface of adjacent end flaps 16, thereby sandwiching the adjacentend flaps 16 between the locking flap 20 and adjacent side wall 12. Theinwards folding of the locking flap 20 also caused the hinges 33 to formfit (i.e., “lock”) into adjacent lock recesses 18 to hold the adjacentside wall 12, end wall 14 and end flaps 16 in place. The reinforcementflaps 28 are then folded inwards along tab fold line 32 so thereinforcement flap is lies flush against an upper portion of an innersurface of an adjacent end wall. 14. Each corner post 58 then foldsalong fold line 74 so that the corner post extends diagonally from thereinforcement flap 28 to an adjacent locking flap 20. The lock tab 60fits into an adjacent lock notch 62 to hold the reinforcement flap,locking flap and corner post in place. The inwards folding of thereinforcement flap 28 also causes the doubled tab 33 to project upwardsfrom the end wall 14. Since the end wall 14 now tapers inwards, thedoubled tabs 33 also tapers inwards.

The resulting container erected from the blank possesses severaldesirable qualities. First, the use of locking flaps obviates the needto use glues, staples or other fasteners in the construction of thecontainer, thereby reducing costs. Further, the use of locking flapsinstead of fasteners allows the container to be disassembled withoutdamaging the container. Thus the container can be easily disassembledand stored for re-used, thereby promoting recycling and lowering costs.Also, the disassembled container (i.e., the blank) requires less storagespace, thereby reducing storage costs. The combination of tapered walls,tapered doubled tabs and tab locking assemblies also makes it easier tostack and maintain the alignment of a stack of containers. Doubled tabsare also stronger and more resistant to damage (e.g., bending, crushing)than single tabs. Further, the corner post 58 creates an upper ledgethat increases the sturdiness of a container stack by preventing asuper-adjacent container from falling downward into the container. Thepartial top created by reinforcement flap 28 provides bulge resistanceas well. Also, since the reinforcement flap 28 has a smaller length(i.e., height) than the end wall 14, less material is required and thereis slightly more usable interior space in the container as compared tousing a reinforcement flap having the same width (i.e., height) as theend wall.

FIG. 2 is a blank for another embodiment of a container embodyingfeatures of the present invention wherein the side walls are tapered,the locking flaps are positioned on the end walls and the reinforcementflaps are positioned on the side walls. Base panel 90 is substantiallyrectangular shaped and is bordered by end fold lines 156 and side foldlines 154. Opposing end walls 94 foldably connect to the base panel 90along fold lines 156 while opposing side walls 92 foldably connect tothe base panel along fold lines 154.

The end walls 94 are generally rectangular shaped. Each end wall isbordered on four sides by an upper edge 160, fold line 156, and sideedges 172. The side walls 92 are substantially rectangular shaped andbordered by an upper edge 158, fold line 154 and fold lines 142. Theside walls 92 have a width about equal to or greater than the width ofthe upper edge 160 of the end walls 94. The length (arrow L2) of theside walls 92 corresponds to the height of the side walls 92 in anerected container. In the present example, the length of the side wall92 and, consequently, the height of the end wall of the erectedcontainer is about 8 1/16 inches. However, the length of the side walls92 and corresponding height of the side walls of the erected containercan vary widely within the scope of the invention. The length (arrow L3)of the end walls 94 corresponds to the height of the end walls of theerected container. Ideally the height of the end walls 94 is the same asthe height of the side walls 92. Preferably, the width of the upper edge160 of the end wall 94 is slightly less than the width of a bottomportion of the end wall adjacent to the fold line 156 to accommodate thetaper of the side walls 92 when the blank is assembled. Also, the endwalls 12 preferably have an opening 166 that is similar to and functionlargely in the same manner as opening 76 in FIG. 1.

Side flaps 96 foldably attach to each side wall 92 along fold lines 142.The side flaps 96 are similar to and function in largely the same manneras end flaps 16 in FIG. 1. The side flaps 96 are substantiallyrectangular shaped and bordered on four sides by a top edge 140, endedge 168, bottom edge 138, and fold line 142. The upper edge 140 has alock recess 176. Preferably, the side flap 96 has a bottom tab 144projecting from the bottom edge 138, the bottom tab 144 beingdimensioned to fit into a flap tab slot 146 located on the base panel 90adjacent to fold line 156. The side flap may also have a recess 170along the end edge 168 thereof. The lock recess 176, bottom tab 144, tabslot 146 and recess 176 are similar to and function largely in the samemanner as the lock recess 18, bottom tab 54, tab slot 56 and recess 77in FIG. 1.

Similar to end flap 16, the bottom edge 138 of the side flaps 96 extendsgenerally in the same lateral plane as fold line 154 except that thebottom edge diverges from a bottom edge of the side wall (i.e., foldline 154) with a slight angle towards the top edge 140, thereby causingthe side walls 92 to taper inwards when the container is erected. Theangle of divergence of the bottom edge 138 can vary greatly, dependingon how much of a taper is ultimately desired in the side walls 92.Similarly, top edge 140 extends generally in the same lateral plane asthe upper edge 158 of the side wall 92, except that the top edgediverges away from the upper edge 158 at a slight divergent angle. As inend flap 16, the angle of divergence of the top edge 140 is preferablyabout the same as the angle of divergence of the bottom edge 138 toallow the upper edge 140 and top edge 158 to create a flat, even topcorner when the container is erected.

The locking flaps 98 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the locking flaps 20 in FIG. 1. Locking flaps 98 are attachedto the upper edges 160 of the end walls. The locking flaps 98 arehingeably connected to the upper edges 160 by a pair of spaced-apartlock hinge assemblies 102. The lock hinge assemblies 102 comprise ahinge 105 bordered by hinge cuts 104, 106 and fold lines 108, 110. Thelocking flap 98 may also have a recess 174 along an outer edge 178thereof. Preferably, the locking flap 98 has a lock notch 152 along theouter edge 178 thereof. The hinge 105, hinge cuts 104, 106, fold lines108, 110, recess 174 and lock notch 152 are similar to and function inlargely the same manner as the hinge 23, hinge cuts 24, 25, fold lines26, 27, recess 79 and lock notch 62 in FIG. 1.

One end of each hinge cut 104, 106 is perpendicular to a lower edge 100of the locking flap 98 and extends a short distance into the lockingflap. The other end of each hinge cut 104, 106 is perpendicular to theupper edge 160 of the end wall 94 and extends a short distance into theend wall 94. The fold lines 108, 110 are disposed perpendicular to andbetween the hinge cuts 104, 106. In an alternate embodiment, each foldline 108, 110 can be a single, short incision instead of perforations.One fold line 110 is disposed on the end wall 94, parallel to the upperedge 160 of the end wall and running perpendicularly between the hingecuts 104, 106. The other fold line 108 is disposed on the locking flap98 parallel to the lower edge 100 of the locking flap and runningperpendicularly between the hinge cuts. The distance between the foldcuts 108, 110 is about equal to the thickness of the material comprisingthe side flaps 96 while the distance between the hinge cuts 104, 106 isabout equal to the width of the lock recess 176.

The reinforcement flap 112 is foldably attached to the upper edges 158of the side wall 92 and is similar to and functions in largely the samemanner as the reinforcement flap 28 in FIG. 1. The reinforcement flap112 is substantially rectangular shaped having a width less than thewidth of the side wall 92 and a length considerably shorter than that ofthe side walls. The reinforcement flap 112 has corner posts 148 foldablyattached on fold lines 164 along the shorter ends of the reinforcementflap. Preferably, the corner post 148 has a lock tab 150 projecting froma side edge thereof. The corner post 148 and lock tab 150 are similar toand function in largely the same manner as the corner post 58 and locktab 60 in FIG. 1.

The reinforcement flap 112 is connected to the upper edge 158 of theside wall 92 by a pair of spaced-apart doubled tabs 114. However, it isto be understood that a reinforcement flap connected to the upper edgeby one or more that two doubled tabs is within the spirit of the presentinvention. The doubled tab 114 comprises a flap tab 116 extending from atab edge 162 and a side wall tab 118 extending from the upper edge 158.The two tabs 116, 118 are foldably connected along tab fold 120. Thedoubled tab 114, flap tab 116, side wall tab 118 and tab fold 120 aresimilar to and function in largely the same manner as the doubled tab33, flap tab 31, end wall tab 30 and tab fold 32 in FIG. 1.

In a preferred embodiment, tab lock assemblies 126 are cut and scored inthe base panel 90 at a location adjacent to fold line 154 as shown inFIG. 2 or, alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the fold line 154.The tab lock assembly 126 comprises a stacking slot 122 and a tab flap128. The tab flap 128 is bordered by a contact edge 130, back cut 136,and a pair of opposing side cuts 132, 134. The tab lock assembly 126,stacking slot 122, tab flap 128, contact edge 130, back cut 136, andside cuts 132, 134 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the tab lock assembly 38, stacking slot 42, flap tab 40,contact edge 42, back cut 46, and side cuts 44, 45 in FIG. 1.

The stacking slot 122 is positioned on the bottom panel 90 and isdisposed between the tab flap 128 and fold line 154. Further, thestacking slot 34 is positioned to accept the doubled tab of asub-adjacent container on a slight taper. If the degree of taperchanges, the alignment can change accordingly. For example, if sidewalls of the sub-adjacent container taper a higher degree than thecontainer shown in FIG. 2, the doubled tabs thereof will contact thebase panel 90 of the super-adjacent container at some point closer tothe center of base panel 90. To account for this, the stacking slots 122can be inwardly spaced from fold line 154, thereby being aligned toaccept said doubled tabs.

The side wall 92 may have a crushed area 124 that is similar to andwhich functions in largely the same manner as the crushed area 36 ofFIG. 1. The crushed area 124 is disposed adjacent to that part of thefold line 154 that is adjacent to the stacking slot 122. The crushedarea allows easier access of the doubled stacking tab (not shown) of thesub-adjacent container into the stacking slot 34 in those embodimentswherein the taper of side wall of container is very slight.

The blank is erected manually to form the container in the largely thesame manner as the blank of FIG. 1. The end walls 94 are folded upwardsalong fold lines 154. The side flaps 96 are upwardly along fold lines142 and the side walls 92 are then folded upwards so that the bottomtabs 144 fit into adjacent tab slots 46 thereby aligning bottom edge 138with fold line 156. This pulls down the side flaps, causing the sidewalls 92 to taper inwards. The taper of the side walls 92 may be slight,preferably between 1-5°, although this can vary widely within the scopeof the invention. The results of the taper is an angle less than 90°between the base panel 90 and the side walls 92. As in the blank in FIG.1, the locking flaps 20 are folded inwards to sandwich adjacent sideflaps 96 between the locking flap 98 and an adjacent end wall 94 andalso cause the hinges 105 to lock into adjacent lock recesses 176. Thereinforcement flaps 28 are then folded inwards so that the reinforcementflap is lies flush against an upper portion of an inner surface of anadjacent side wall 92 and the doubled tabs 114 project upwards from theside wall 92. The corner posts 148 fold along fold line 164 so that theeach corner post extends diagonally from the reinforcement flap 112 toan adjacent locking flap 98 and so that the lock tab 150 fits into anadjacent lock notch 152. Since the side wall 92 now tapers inwards, thedoubled tabs 114 also taper inwards.

FIG. 3 shows a blank for an alternative embodiment of the container ofFIG. 2 wherein one a side wall has a window to provide visibility and abreathing hole for the items held within the container. As shown in FIG.2, side wall 92′ is substantially rectangular shaped and foldablyconnected to the base panel 90 along fold line 154′. The side wall 92′is bordered by an upper edge 192, fold line 154′ and fold lines 142. Theside wall 92′ has a large, trapezoidal-shaped window recess 190 alongthe upper edge 192. In a preferred embodiment, side wall 92′ may havereinforcement pieces 194. The reinforcement piece 194 is attached toupper edge 192 of the side wall 92′ along a perforated fold line 196which allows the reinforcement piece to fold over and lie flush againstan inner surface of side wall 92′. The reinforcement piece 194 furtherhas a corner post 198 foldably attached along fold line 200. The cornerpost 198 folds along fold line 200 and extends diagonally from thereinforcement piece 194 to an adjacent locking flap 98 when the blank isassembled, mirroring corner posts 148. The reinforcement piece may alsohave a lock tab 202 which is similar to and which functions in largelythe same manner as lock tab 150. Specifically, the lock tab 202 fitsinto an adjacent lock notch 152 when the blank is assembled. Theremainder of the blank in FIG. 3 is similar to and functions in largelythe same manner as that of FIG. 2.

A blank for forming an alternative embodiment of the container of FIG. 3is shown in FIG. 4. A container assembled from the blank of FIG. 4 isshown in FIG. 7. Base panel 220 is substantially rectangular shaped andis bordered by end fold lines 306 and side fold lines 302, 304. Opposingend walls 226 foldably connect to the base panel 220 along fold lines306. Side wall 222 foldably connects to the base panel 220 along foldline 302 while opposing side wall 224 foldably connects to the basepanel along fold line 304. As seen in FIG. 7, when the blank isassembled, the folded down lock flap 230 holds the container togetherwhile the folded down reinforcement flap creates a partial top structurethat reinforces the container and enables the doubled tabs 248 projectupwards from the side wall 222.

The base panel has a tongue 348 positioned along the fold line 306. Thetongue has a contact edge 354 disposed adjacent and parallel to a tabrecess 346 (see below) on the end wall 226. The tongue has cuts 350, 352that respectively run perpendicularly and inwards from each end of thecontact edge 354. The cuts 350, 352 allow the tongue 348 to pivot up anddown and hold an end tab 362 and upper tab 356 (see below) of asub-adjacent container in place.

The end walls 226 are generally rectangular shaped and each end wall isbordered on four sides by an upper edge 312, fold line 306, and endedges 324. Preferably, end walls 226 have an opening 318 that is similarto and which function in largely the same manner as opening 166 of FIG.2. The end walls 226 have an end tab 362 extending from upper edge 312.The end walls 226 also have a tab recess 346 along the bottom edgethereof, (i.e., adjacent to the fold line 306), adjacent to the contactedge 354 of the tongue 348 (see above). The tab recess 346 allows theend wall to accept an end tab and upper tabs of a sub-adjacentcontainer.

Side wall 222 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered by anupper edge 308, fold line 302 and fold lines 280. Side wall 224 issubstantially rectangular and bordered by an upper edge 310, fold line304 and fold lines 280. Side wall 224 has a large, clamshell shapedwindow recess 332 along the upper edge 310. Side wall 224 also has areinforcement piece 334 adjacent to each end of the window recess 332along the upper edge 310 of side wall 224. The reinforcement piece 334is similar to and functions in largely the same manner as thereinforcement piece 194 in FIG. 3. The reinforcement piece 334 isfoldably connected to the upper edge 310 along a perforated fold line310. The reinforcement piece 334 further has a corner post 338 foldablyattached along fold line 340. The reinforcement piece 338 may also havea lock tab 342. The corner post 338 and lock tab 342 are similar to andfunction in largely the same manner as the corner post 198 and lock tab202 of FIG. 3. That is, when the blank is assembled, corner post 338extends diagonally from the reinforcement piece 334 to an adjacentlocking flap 230 (see below) and the lock tab 342 fits into an adjacentlock notch 300 (see below). In an alternative embodiment, side wall 224may be replaced with a side wall similar to side wall 222 such that theerected container has no windows on any side wall and a reinforcementflap on the upper edge of both side walls.

Side walls 222 and 224 have a width about equal to or greater than thewidth of the upper edge 312 of the end walls 226. The length (arrow L5)of side walls 222, 224 corresponds to the height of the side walls in anerected container. The length (arrow L6) of the end walls 226corresponds to the height of the end walls of the erected container.Ideally the height of the end walls 226 is the same as the height ofside walls 222, 224. Preferably, the width of the upper edge 312 of theend wall 226 is slightly less than the width of a bottom portion of theend wall adjacent to fold line 306 so as to accommodate the taper ofside walls 222, 224 when the blank is assembled. In an alternateembodiment, the side walls 202, 204 may have a crushed area similar toand which functions in largely the same manner as the crushed area 124in FIG. 2.

Side flaps 228 foldably attach to the side walls 222, 224 along foldlines 280. The side flaps 228 are similar to and function in largely thesame manner as the end flaps 16 in FIG. 1. The side flaps 228 aresubstantially rectangular shaped and bordered on four sides by a topedge 276, end edge 320, bottom edge 278, and fold line 280. The upperedge 276 has a lock recess 328. Preferably, side flaps 228 have a bottomtab 282 projecting from the bottom edge 278, the bottom tab 282 beingpositioned to fit into a flap tab slot 284 located on the base panel 220adjacent to fold line 306. The side flap may also have a recess 322along the end edge 320 thereof. The lock recess 328, bottom tab 282, tabslot 284 and recess 322 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the lock recess 18, bottom tab 54, tab slot 56 and recess 77in FIG. 1. Preferably, the lock recess has a recess notch 360 in abottom corner nearest to the fold line 280.

The side flap 228 also has an upper tab 356 extending from the top edge276, adjacent to the end edge 320. Preferably, the upper flap tab 356 isimmediately adjacent to the end edge 320 so that the end edge forms oneedge of the upper tab. The side flap 228 also has a flap notch 358 alongthe bottom edge 278, adjacent to the end edge 320. The upper flap tab320 is positioned and dimensioned to fit into a corresponding flap notchof a super-adjacent container while the flap notch 358 is positioned anddimensioned to accept the upper tab of a sub-adjacent container.

Similar to end flap 16 of FIG. 1, the bottom edge 278 of side flaps 228extend generally in the same lateral plane as a bottom end of the sidewalls except that the bottom edge diverges from the bottom edge of theside walls 222, 224 (i.e., fold lines 302, 304 respectively) with aslight angle towards the top edge 276, thereby causing side walls 222,224 to taper inwards when the container is assembled. The angle ofdivergence of the bottom edge 278 can vary greatly, depending on howmuch of a taper is ultimately desired in the side walls 222, 224.Similarly, top edge 276 extends generally in the same lateral plane asthe upper edge 308, 310 of side wall 222 and 224 respectively, exceptthat the top edge diverges away from the upper edges 308, 310 at aslight divergent angle. As in end flap 16, the angle of divergence ofthe top edge 276 is preferably about the same as the angle of divergenceof the bottom edge 278 to allow the upper edge 308, 310 and top edge 276to create a flat, even top corner when the container is assembled.

The locking flaps 230 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the locking flaps 20 in FIG. 1. Each locking flap 230 ishingeably connected to the upper edge 312 of end walls 226 by a pair ofspaced-apart lock hinge assemblies 234. The lock hinge assembly 234comprises a hinge 236, hinge cuts 238, 240 and fold lines 242, 244.Preferably, the locking flap 230 has a lock notch 300 along an outeredge 330 thereof. The locking flap 230 may also have a recess 326 alongan outer edge 330. The lock hinge assembly 234, hinge 236, hinge cuts238, 240, fold lines 242, 244, recess 326 and lock notch 300 are similarto and function in largely the same manner as the hinge assemblies 102hinge 105, hinge cuts 104, 106, fold lines 108, 110, recess 174 and locknotch 152 in FIG. 2. The locking flap 230 also has an end tab recess 364positioned along the lower edge 232 thereof and directly adjacent to theend tab 362. The end tab recess 364 allows the adjacent end tab 362 andadjacent upper tabs 356 to pass through the locking flap 22 when thelocking flap 230 is folded downwards as the blank is assembled.

The reinforcement flap 246 is foldably attached to the upper edge 308 ofside wall 222 and is similar to and functions in largely the same manneras the reinforcement flap 112 in FIG. 2. The reinforcement flap 246 hascorner posts 286 foldably attached on fold lines 316 along the shorterends of the reinforcement flap. Preferably, each corner post has a locktab 290. The corner post 286 and lock tab 290 are similar to andfunction in largely the same manner as the corner posts 148 and locktabs 150 in FIG. 2.

The reinforcement flap 246 is connected to the upper edge 308 of theside wall 22 by a pair of spaced-apart doubled tabs 248. However, it isto be understood that a reinforcement flap connected to the upper edgeby one or more than two doubled tabs is within the spirit of the presentinvention. The doubled tab 248 comprises a flap tab 250 extending from atab edge 314 and a side wall tab 252 extending from the upper edge 308.The two tabs 250, 252 are foldably connected along a tab fold 260. Thedoubled tabs 248, flap tab 250, side wall tab 252 and tab fold 260 aresimilar to and function in largely the same manner as the doubled tab114, flap tab 116, side wall tab 118 and tab fold 120 in FIG. 2.

In a preferred embodiment, tab lock assemblies 262 are cut and scored inthe base panel 220 at a location adjacent to fold lines 302, 304 asshown in FIG. 4 or, alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the foldlines 302, 304. The tab lock assembly 262 comprises a stacking slot 264and a tab flap 266. The tab flap tab 266 is bordered by a contact edge268, back cut 274, and a pair of opposing side cuts 270, 272. The tablock assembly 262, stacking slot 264, tab flap 266, contact edge 268,back cut 274, and side cuts 270, 272 are similar to and function inlargely the same manner as the tab lock assembly 126, stacking slot 122,tab flap 128, contact edge 130, back cut 136 and side cuts 132, 134previously discussed above with respect to FIG. 2.

The blank is erected manually to form the container in the largely thesame manner as the blank of FIG. 2. The end walls 226 are folded upwardsalong fold lines 306. The side flaps 228 are folded upwardly along foldlines 280 and the side walls 222, 224 are then folded upwards so thatthe bottom tabs 282 fit into adjacent tab slots 284, thereby aligningbottom edge 278 with fold line 306. This pulls down the side flapscausing the side walls 222, 224 to taper inwards. The taper of the sidewalls 222, 224 may be slight, preferably between 1-5°, although this canvary widely within the scope of the invention. The result of the taperis an angle less than 90° between the base panel 220 and the side walls222, 224.

Each locking flap 230 is folded inwards to lie against an inner surfaceof adjacent side flaps 228. As the locking flap 230 is folded down, theupper tabs 356 of the adjacent side flaps 228 pass through the end tabrecess 364. The folding of the locking flap 230 sandwiches the adjacentside flaps 228 between the locking flap 230 and an adjacent end wall 226and also cause the hinges 236 to lock into adjacent lock recesses 328.

The reinforcement flap 245 is folded inwards so that the reinforcementflap lies flush against an upper portion of an inner surface of sidewall 222 and so that the doubled tabs 248 project upwards from side wall222. Each corner posts 286 folds along fold line 316 so that the cornerpost extends diagonally from the reinforcement flap 246 to an adjacentlocking flap 230 and the lock tab 290 fits into an adjacent lock notch300. Since the side wall 222 now tapers inwards, the doubled tabs 248also taper inwards. Each reinforcement piece 334 is folded downwards andinwards along fold line 336 to lie against an upper portion of the innersurface of the side wall 224. The corner post 338 folds along fold line310 so that the corner post extends diagonally from the reinforcementpiece 334 to an adjacent locking flap 230 and the lock tab 342 fits intoan adjacent lock notch 300.

A blank for forming another embodiment of a container of embodyingfeatures of the present invention is FIG. 5. The container erected fromthe blank has tapering opposing side walls wherein one side wall has awindow. Base panel 380 is substantially rectangular shaped and isbordered by end fold lines 436 and side fold lines 442, 443. Opposingend walls 386 foldably connect to a base panel 380 along fold lines 446.Side wall 382 foldably connects to the base panel 380 along fold line442 while side wall 384 foldably connects to the base panel along foldline 443.

The base panel 330 has a tongue 470 positioned along fold lines 446. Thetongue has a contact edge 476 disposed adjacent and parallel to a tabrecess 468 (see below) on the end wall 386. The tongue has cuts 472, 474that respectively run perpendicularly and inwards from each end of thecontact edge 476. The cuts 472, 474 allow the tongue 470 to pivot up anddown and hold an end tab 478 (see below) of a sub-adjacent container inplace.

The end walls 386 are generally rectangular shaped and each end wall isbordered on four sides by an upper edge 402, fold line 446, and endedges 456. Preferably, the end walls have an opening 454 that is similarto and which functions in largely the same manner as the opening 166 inFIG. 2. Each end wall has an end tab 478 extending from the upper edge452. Also, each end wall has a tab recess 468 along the bottom edgethereof, (i.e., adjacent to the fold line 446), adjacent to the contactedge 476 of the tongue (see above). The tab recess 468 allows the endwall to accept an end tab of a sub-adjacent container.

Side wall 382 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered by anupper edge 448, fold line 442 and fold lines 436. A pair of spaced apartside wall tabs 484 project outwards from the upper edge 448 of the sidewall 382. The side wall tabs 484 are dimensioned to fit into a stackingslot (see below) of a super-adjacent container.

Side wall 384 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered by anupper edge 450, fold line 443 and fold lines 436. Side wall 384 has agenerally rectangular shaped window recess 482 along the upper edge 450.The side walls 382, 384 have a width about equal to or greater than thewidth of the upper edge 452 of the end walls 386. The length of the sidewalls 382, 384 corresponds to the height of the side walls in an erectedcontainer. The length of the end walls 386 corresponds to the height ofthe end walls of the erected container. Ideally the height of the endwalls 386 is the same as the height of side walls 382, 384. Preferably,the width of the upper edge 452 of the end walls is slightly less thanthe width of a bottom portion of the end walls adjacent to fold line 446so as to accommodate the taper of side walls 382, 384 when the blank isassembled. The side walls may have a crushed area 416 similar to andwhich functions in largely the same manner as the crushed area 124 inFIG. 2.

Side flaps 388 foldably attach to side walls 382, 384 along fold lines436. The side flaps 388 are substantially rectangular shaped andbordered on four sides by a top edge 432, end edge 464, bottom edge 434and fold line 436. Each side flap 338 comprises an inner flap 390 and anouter flap 392. The inner flap 390 is substantially rectangular shapedand bordered on four sides by the top edge 432, bottom edge 434, foldline 436 and inner edge 460. The outer flap 392 is substantiallyrectangular shaped and bordered on four sides by the top edge 432,bottom edge 434, end edge 464 and inner edge 462. The inner flap 390 isfoldably connected to the outer flap 392 along the inner edge 460 andinner edge 462 of the inner flap and outer flap respectively,preferably, by a pair of flap hinges 394, 394′. One flap hinge 394 isdisposed immediately adjacent to the top edge 432 of the side flap whilethe other flap hinge 394′ is disposed immediately adjacent to the bottomedge 434 of the side flap.

The inner flap has a lock recess 466 along the top edge 432 and,preferably, a bottom tab 438 projecting from the bottom edge 434.Further, the inner flap may have a recess 398 along the inner edge 460.The outer flap 392 has a lock recess 466′ along the top edge 432 and,preferably, a bottom tab 438′ projecting from the bottom edge 434.Further, the outer flap 392 may have a recess 398′ along the inner edge462. The bottom tabs 438, 438′ are positioned and dimensioned to fitinto a tab slot 440 that is disposed on the base panel 380 at a positionadjacent to fold line 446. The lock recesses 466, 466′, bottom tabs 438,438′, tab slot 440 and recesses 398, 398′ are similar to and functionlargely in the same manner as the lock recess 176, bottom tab 144, tabslot 146 and recess 170 in FIG. 2.

Similar to end flap 16 of FIG. 1, the bottom edge 434 of the side flaps388 extend generally in the same lateral plane as fold lines 442, 443except that the bottom edge diverges from a bottom edge of the sidewalls 382, 384 (i.e., fold lines 442, 443, respectively) with a slightangle towards the top edge 432, thereby causing the side walls 382, 384to taper inwards when the container is assembled. The angle ofdivergence of the bottom edge 434 can vary greatly, depending on howmuch of a taper is ultimately desired in the side walls 382, 384.Similarly, the top edge 432 of the side flaps extend generally in thesame lateral plane as the upper edge 448 and 450 of side walls 382 and384 respectively, except that the top edge diverges away from the upperedges 308, 310 at a slight divergent angle. As in end flap 16, the angleof divergence of the top edge 432 is preferably about the same as theangle of divergence of the bottom edge 434 to allow the upper edges 448,450 and top edge 432 to create a flat, even top corner when thecontainer is assembled.

The locking flaps 400 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the locking flaps 98 in FIG. 2. Each locking flap 400 ishingeably connected to the upper edges 452 of the end wall 386 by a pairof spaced-apart lock hinge assemblies 404. The lock hinge assembliescomprise a hinge 406, hinge cuts 408, 410 and fold lines 412, 414. Thelocking flap may have a recess 458 along an outer edge 459. The lockhinge assembly 404, hinge 406, hinge cuts 408, 410, fold lines 412, 414and recess 458 are similar to and function in largely the same manner asthe hinge assemblies 102, hinge 105, hinge cuts 104, 106, fold lines108, 110 and recess 174 in FIG. 2. The locking flap 400 also has an endtab recess 480 positioned along the lower edge 402 thereof and directlyadjacent to the end tab 478. The end tab recess 480 enables the lockingflap 400 to be folded down without interfering with the end tab 478,thereby allowing the end tab to project upwards when the blank isassembled.

Preferably, tab lock assemblies 418 are cut and scored in the base panel380 at a location adjacent to fold line 442 as shown in FIG. 5 or,alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the fold line 442. Each tablock assembly 262 comprises a stacking slot 420 and a tab flap 422. Thetab flap 422 is bordered by a contact edge 424, back cut 430, and a pairof opposing side cuts 426, 428. The tab lock assembly 418, stacking slot420, tab flap 422, contact edge 424, back cut 430, and side cuts 426,428 are similar to and function in largely the same manner as the tablock assembly 126, stacking slot 122, tab flap 128, contact edge 130,back cut 136 and side cuts 132, 134 in FIG. 2. Preferably, as shown inFIG. 5, tab lock assemblies 418 are also cut and scored in the basepanel 380 at a location adjacent to fold line 443 as shown in FIG. 5 or,alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the fold line 443. This isadvantageous as it allows one container to stack on top of anothercontainer (i.e., a sub-adjacent container) even if the north-southorientation of container is opposite from the sub-adjacent container.

The blank is erected manually to form the container in the largely thesame manner as the blank of FIG. 2. The end walls 386 are folded upwardsalong fold lines 446. The outer flap 392 is folded inwards along theflap hinges 394, 394′ so that the outer flap lies flush against an innersurface of the inner flap 390. Consequently, the lock recess 466′,recess 398′ and bottom tab 438′ of the outer flap 392 registerrespectively with the lock recess 466, recess 398 and bottom tab 438 ofthe inner flap 390. The resulting folded side flaps 388 are foldedupwardly along fold lines 436 and the side walls 382, 384 are thenfolded upwards to so that the bottom tabs 438. 438′ fit into adjacenttab slots 440, thereby aligning bottom edge 434 with end fold line 446.This pulls down the side flaps, causing the side walls 382, 384 to taperinwards. The taper of the side walls 382, 384 may be slight, preferablybetween 1-5°, although this can vary widely within the scope of theinvention. The result of the taper is an angle less than 90° between thebase panel 380 and side walls 382, 384. Each locking flaps 400 is foldedinwards to lie against an inner surface of adjacent folded side flaps388. The locking flap 400 sandwiches the adjacent folded side flaps 388between the locking flap and an adjacent end wall 386 and also cause thehinges 406 to lock into adjacent lock recesses 466, 466′.

A blank for forming another embodiment of a container of embodyingfeatures of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6. The containererected from the blank has tapering opposing side walls wherein one sidewall has a window and reinforcement pieces and the other side wall has areinforcement flap. Base panel 500 is substantially rectangular shapedand is bordered by fold lines 564 and fold lines 442, 443. Opposing endwalls 506 foldably connect to the base panel 500 along fold lines 564.Side wall 502 foldably connects to the base panel 500 along fold line560 while side wall 504 foldably connects to the base panel 500 alongfold line 562.

The base panel 500 has a tongue 582 positioned along the end fold line564. The tongue has a contact edge 588 disposed adjacent and parallel toa tab recess 580 (see below) located on the end wall 506. The tongue hascuts 584, 586 that respectively run perpendicularly and inwards fromeach end of the contact edge 588. The cuts 584, 586 allow the tongue 470to pivot up and down and hold an end tab (see below) of a sub-adjacentcontainer in place.

The end walls 506 are generally rectangular shaped and each end wall isbordered on four sides by an upper edge 579, fold line 564, and endedges 565. Preferably, the end wall has an opening 562 that is similarto and which functions in largely the same manner as the opening 166 inFIG. 2. Each end wall has also an end tab 582 extending from the upperedge 570. Also, each end wall has a tab recess 580 along the bottom edgethereof, (i.e., adjacent to the fold line 446), adjacent to the contactedge 588 of the tongue 582 (see above). The tab recess allows the endwall to accept an end tab of a sub-adjacent container.

Side wall 502 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered by anupper edge 566, side fold line 560 and fold lines 554. A reinforcementflap 598 is connected to the upper edge 566 of the side wall 502 by apair of spaced-apart doubled tabs 600. However, it is to be understoodthat a reinforcement flap connected to the upper edge by one or morethan two doubled tabs is within the spirit of the present invention. Thedoubled tab 600 comprises a flap tab 604 extending from a tab edge 618and a side wall tab 602 extending from the upper edge 566 of the sidewall. The two tabs 602, 604 are foldably connected along a tab fold 608.The doubled tab 600, flap tab 604, side wall tab 602 and tab fold 608are similar to and function in largely the same manner as the doubledtab 114, flap tab 116, side wall tab 118 and tab fold 120 in FIG. 2.

Side wall 504 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered by anupper edge 568, fold line 562 and fold lines 554. Side wall 504 has alarge, generally clamshell shaped window recess 586 along the upper edge568. In an alternative embodiment, the side wall 224 may be replacedwith a side wall similar to side wall 222 such that the erectedcontainer has no windows on any side wall and a reinforcement flap onthe upper edges of both side walls.

Reinforcement pieces 588 are attached to the upper edge 568 of side wall504 at adjacent to each end of the window recess 586. The reinforcementpiece 588 is similar to and functions in largely the same manner as thereinforcement piece 194 in FIG. 3.

The reinforcement piece 588 is foldably connected to the upper edgealong a perforated fold line 590. The reinforcement piece has a cornerpost 592 foldably attached along fold line 591. Preferably, thereinforcement piece 338 also has a lock tab 594. The corner post 592 andlock tab 594 are similar to and function in largely the same manner asthe corner post 198 and lock tab 202 in FIG. 3.

The side walls 502, 504 have a width about equal to or greater than thewidth of the upper edge 570 of the end walls 506. The length of the sidewalls 502, 504 corresponds to the height of the side walls in an erectedcontainer. The length of the end walls 506 corresponds to the height ofthe end walls of the erected container. Ideally the height of the endwalls 506 is the same as the height of side walls 502, 504. Preferably,the width of the upper edge 570 of the end walls is slightly less thanthe width of a bottom portion of the end walls adjacent to the fold line564. This is to accommodate the taper of side walls 502, 504 when theblank is assembled. In an alternate embodiment, the side walls may havea crushed area similar to and which functions in largely the same manneras the crushed area 124 in FIG. 2.

Side flaps 508 foldably attach to the side walls 502, 504 along foldlines 554. The side flaps 508 are similar to and function in largely thesame manner as the side flaps in 388 in FIG. 5. The side flaps 508 aresubstantially rectangular shaped and bordered on four sides by a topedge 550, end edge 551, bottom edge 552 and fold line 554. Each sideflap 508 comprises an inner flap 510 and an outer flap 512. The innerflap 510 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered on four sidesby the top edge 550, bottom edge 552, fold line 554 and inner edge 576.The outer flap 312 is substantially rectangular shaped and bordered onfour sides by the top edge 550, bottom edge 552, end edge 551 and inneredge 578. The inner flap 510 is foldably connected to the outer flap 512along inner edge 578 and inner edge 576 of the inner flap 510 and outerflap 512 respectively, preferably, by a pair of flap hinges 514, 514′.One flap hinge 514 is disposed immediately adjacent to the top edge 550of the side flap while the other flap hinge 514′ is disposed immediatelyadjacent to the bottom edge 552 of the side flap.

The inner flap has a lock recess 516 along the top edge 550 and,preferably, a bottom tab 556 projecting from the bottom edge 552. Theouter flap has a lock recess 516′ along the top edge 550 and,preferably, a bottom tab 556′ projecting from the bottom edge 552. Thebottom tabs 556, 556′ are dimensioned to fit into a tab slot 558disposed on the base panel 500 adjacent to fold line 564. The lockrecesses 516, 516′, bottom tabs 556, 556′ and tab slot 558 are similarto and function largely in the same manner as the lock recesses 466,466′, bottom tabs 438, 438′ and tab slot 440 in FIG. 5. The lockrecesses 516, 516′ may respectively have a recess notch 616, 616′ at thecorner that would be adjacent to the fold line 554 when the side flap508 is folded inwards (see below).

Similar to end flap 16 of FIG. 1, the bottom edge 552 of the side flaps508 extend generally in the same lateral plane as fold line 560, 562except that the bottom edge diverges from the bottom edges of the sidewalls 502, 504 (i.e., fold line 560, 562 respectively) with a slightangle towards the top edge 550, thereby causing side walls 502, 504 totaper inwards when the container is erected. The angle of divergence ofthe bottom edge 552 can vary greatly, depending on how much of a taperis ultimately desired in the side walls. Similarly, the top edge 550 ofthe side flaps extend generally in the same lateral plane as the upperedges 566, 568 of side walls 502, 504 respectively, except that the topedge diverges away from the upper edges 566, 568 at a slight divergentangle. As in end flap 16, the angle of divergence of the top edge 550 ispreferably about the same as the angle of divergence of the bottom edge552 to allow the upper edges 566, 569 and top edge 550 to create a flat,even top corner when the container is assembled.

The locking flaps 518 are similar to and function in largely the samemanner as the locking flaps 98 in FIG. 2. Each locking flap is hingeablyconnected to the upper edge 570 of the end walls by a pair ofspaced-apart lock hinge assemblies 522. The lock hinge assembliescomprise a hinge 524, hinge cuts 526, 528 and fold lines 530, 532. Thelocking flap may have a recess 574 along an outer edge 572. Preferably,the locking flap also has a pair of lock notches 596 disposed along theouter edge 572. The lock hinge assembly 522, hinge 524, hinge cuts 526,528, fold lines 530, 532 and recess 574 are similar to and function inlargely the same manner as the hinge assemblies 102, hinge 105, hingecuts 104, 106, fold lines 108, 110, recess 174 and lock notches 152 inpreviously discussed above with respect to FIG. 2. The locking flap alsohas an end tab recess 584 positioned along the lower edge 570 thereofand directly adjacent to the end tab 582. The end tab recess enables thelocking flap to be folded down without interfering with the end tab 584,thereby allowing the end tab to project upwards when the blank isassembled.

Tab lock assemblies 534 are cut and scored in the base panel 500 at alocation adjacent to fold line 560 as shown in FIG. 6 or, alternatively,spaced slightly inward from the fold line 560. Each tab lock assemblycomprises a stacking slot 536 and a tab flap 538. The tab flap 538 isbordered by a contact edge 540, back cut 548, and a pair of opposingside cuts 542, 546. The tab lock assembly 534, stacking slot 540, tabflap 538, contact edge 540, back cut 548, and side cuts 542, 546 aresimilar to and function in largely the same manner as the tab lockassembly 126, stacking slot 122, tab flap 128, contact edge 130, backcut 136 and side cuts 132, 134 in FIG. 2. Preferably, as shown in FIG.5, tab lock assemblies 534 are also cut and scored in the base panel 500at a location adjacent to fold line 562 as shown in FIG. 6 or,alternatively, spaced slightly inward from the fold line 562. This isadvantageous as it allows one container to stack on top of anothercontainer (i.e., a sub-adjacent container) even if the north-southorientation of the container is opposite from that of the sub-adjacentcontainer.

The blank is erected manually to form the container in the largely thesame manner as the blank of FIG. 5. The end walls 506 are folded upwardsalong fold lines 564. Each outer flap 512 is folded inwards along theflap hinges 514, 514′ so that the outer flap lies flush against an innersurface of the inner flap 510. Consequently, the lock recess 516′,bottom tab 556′ and recess notch 616′ of the outer flap 512 registerrespectively with the lock recess 516, bottom tab 556 and recess notch616 of the inner flap 510.

The resulting folded side flaps 508 are folded upwards along fold lines554 and then the side walls 502, 504 are folded upwards along fold lines560, 562 respectively so that the bottom tabs 556, 556′ fit intoadjacent tab slots 558, thereby aligning bottom edge 552 with end foldline 564. This pulls down the side flaps causing the side walls 502, 504to taper inwards. The taper of the side walls 502, 504 may be slight,preferably between 1-5°, although this can vary widely within the scopeof the invention. The result of the taper is an angle less than 90°between the base panel 500 and the side walls 502, 504.

Each locking flap 518 is folded inwards to lie against an inner surfaceof an adjacent folded side flap 508. The locking flap 518 sandwichesadjacent folded side flaps 508 between the locking flap and an adjacentend wall 506 and also cause the hinges 524 to lock into adjacent lockrecesses 516, 516′. The reinforcement flap 598 is folded inwards to lieflush against an upper inner surface of side wall 502. This causes thedoubled tabs 600 to project upwards from the top of the container. Eachcorner post 610 is folded along fold line 612 so that the corner postextends diagonally to an adjacent locking flap 518 and the lock tab 614fits into an adjacent lock slot. Similarly, each reinforcement piece 588is folded inwards to lie against an inner surface of an upper portion ofside wall 504. Each corner post 592 is folded along fold line 591 so thethat corner post 592 extends diagonally towards an adjacent locking flap518 and the lock tab 594 fits into an adjacent lock slot. 596.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the artthat numerous modifications are possible in light of the abovedisclosure. For example, the doubled tabs, end tabs, side wall tabs andwindow recesses may be of different shapes than those depicted in thedrawings without departing from the spirit of the invention. Further,although the embodiments in FIG. 1-6 show rectangular shaped containers,it is to be understood that square or cube shaped containers are withinthe spirit of the present invention. All such variations andmodifications are intended to be within the scope and spirit of theinvention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

1-40. (canceled)
 41. A container, comprising: a base panel; wherein thebase panel comprises at least one stacking slot; two opposing end wallsconnected to the base panel; two opposing side walls connected to thebase panel, a side flap connected to opposing sides of each side wall oropposing sides of each end wall, each side flap comprising a lock recessalong a top edge thereof; at least one stacking tab extending therefromat least one side wall or at least one end wall; locking flaps connectedto the end walls or to the side walls by at least one pair of lock hingeassemblies, wherein each locking flap folds inwardly to sandwich atleast one side flap adjacent thereto between the locking flap and an endwall or side wall adjacent thereto and further, wherein each lockinghinge assembly locks into the lock recess of the adjacent side flap; anda reinforcement flap connected to at least one of the side walls or atleast one of the end walls, wherein the reinforcement flap lies againstan inner surface of the side wall or end wall to which the reinforcementflap is connected, wherein at least one of the side walls or at leastone of the end walls has a first thickness and further comprises acrushed area, the crushed area having a second thickness that is lessthan the first thickness, and a bottom of the crushed area is adjacentto the at least one stacking slot.
 42. The container according to claim41, wherein at least one of the opposing end walls is connected to thebase panel at substantially a 90° angle.
 43. The container according toclaim 41, wherein at least one of the two opposing side walls isconnected to the base panel at an angle that is less than 90°.
 44. Thecontainer according to claim 41, wherein the reinforcing flap lies flushagainst an inner surface of the side wall or end wall to which thereinforcement flap is connected.
 45. The container according to claim41, wherein the at least one stacking slot is cut into the base panel.46. The container according to claim 45, wherein the at least onestacking slot is positioned to accept the at least one stacking tab of asub-adjacent container.
 47. The container according to claim 46, whereinthe at least one stacking tab extends from an angled side wall of asub-adjacent container.
 48. The container according to claim 45, whereinthe at least one stacking slot is positioned adjacent to at least one ofthe side walls or at least one of the end walls.
 49. The containeraccording to claim 48, further comprising a flap tab disposed on thebase panel adjacent to the at least one stacking slot, the flap tabcomprising a contact edge disposed adjacent and parallel to the at leastone stacking slot.
 50. The container according to claim 41, wherein atleast one of the side flaps further comprises a bottom edge that anglesdivergently upward from a bottom edge of at least one of the side wallsor at least one of the end walls.
 51. The container according to claim41, wherein the reinforcement flap further comprises at least one cornerflap attached to opposing edges thereof and wherein at least one cornerflap extends diagonally towards at least one of the locking flaps. 52.The container according to claim 51, wherein at least one of the lockingflaps comprise at least one lock slot disposed along an outer edgethereof; at least one lock tab projects from a side edge of the at leastone corner flap; and the at least one lock tab extends into the at leastone lock slot.
 53. The container according to claim 41, wherein a bottomtab projects from a bottom edge of at least one of the side flaps; atleast one tab slot is disposed on the base panel adjacent to at leastone of the end walls or at least one of the side walls; and the bottomtab extends into the at least one tab slot.
 54. The container accordingto claim 41, wherein the base panel comprises at least one stacking slotcut into the base panel.
 55. The container according to claim 41,wherein the side walls having a width equal to or greater than the widthof upper edges of the end walls.
 56. The container according to claim41, wherein the reinforcement flap is connected to at least one of theside walls or at least one of the end walls by at least one stackingtab.
 57. The container according to claim 56, wherein the reinforcementflap is connected to at least one of the side walls or at least one ofthe end walls by at least one doubled stacking tab.
 58. The containeraccording to claim 41, further comprising a second reinforcement flapconnected to at least one of the side walls or at least one of the endwalls and opposite the first reinforcement flap, wherein the secondreinforcement flap lies against an inner surface of the side wall or endwall to which the second reinforcement flap is connected
 59. Thecontainer according to claim 58, wherein the second reinforcement flapis connected to at least one of the side walls or at least one of theend walls by at least one stacking tab.
 60. The container according toclaim 59, wherein the second reinforcement flap is connected to at leastone of the side walls or at least one of the end walls by at least onedoubled stacking tab.